Harrow



- (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet L.

E. E. WHIPPLE. HARROW.

v No. 556,075 Patented Mar. 10, 1896.

I L (No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2.

5.. E. WHIPPLE. HARROW.

No. 555,075 Patented Mar. 10 1896.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3,.

- E. E. WHIPPLE.

HARROW ,075. Patented Mar. 10, 1896'.

M. PNOTOYUTHCLWASHIN 57' 3 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EFFINGER E. VVHIPPLE, OF ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN.

HARROYW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,075, dated March10, 1896.

Application filed March 23, 1895.

State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'inHarrows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in disk harrows.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, andhighly-eflicient cultivating implement employing adjustable and tiltablehorizontally-arranged rotary disks.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and incombinations of parts more fully and particularly described hereinafterand pointed out in'the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa harrow constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a topplan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear end view. Fig. 4. is a verticalsection taken centrally through one of the horizontally-arranged disksand its supporting and fastening means and journal-box. Fig. 5 is a topplan of my invention adapted to a walking or hand cultivator, as acorn-cultivator. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation showing a diskprovided with a shoe, also showing a rocking journal-box for the diskmounted in the drag-bar and provided with controlling means. Fig. 7 is aplan of the disk that can be employed having angular edges. Fig. 8 is anend view of a drag-bar, showing the disk journaled in the form of atransversely-rockable cylindrical bearing-block within the end of thedrag-bar and arranged to be clamped in the desired transversetilted'position.

In the drawings, a is the axle having the supporting-wheels b and tongue0.

d is a tilting bar usually arranged a distance above and parallel withthe axle, and at its front edge hinged or loosely joined to the axle, asby hinges 8, so that the bar can from said bar to rock the same, and gis a rack secured to the axle to receive the pawl of the lever and bymeans of which the bar is held in the desired position with respect tothe axle. h are laterally-swingable clevises pivoted to the bar andextending rearwardly therefrom.

'i are the rearwardly-extending and vertically and laterally movabledrag-bars. Each bar is capable of a transverse twisting or rockingmovement. The front ends of these bars are loosely and adj ustablyjoined to their respective clevises in any suitable manner, as by linkor loop, such as shown. The rear end of each drag-bar carries ahorizontally-disposed rotary cutting and cultivating diskj, rotated bythe forward movement-of the machine. 7

Each disk preferably consists of a thin flat piece of metal with itsouter edge or edges formed into cutting-edges. Thisdisk can be formedcircular with an unbroken cuttingedge or, if desired, can be formed inshape otherthan circular with angular cuttingedgessuch, for instance, asshown in Fig. 7, where the cutting-edge is formed of a series of pointswherein the rotating and cutting properties of the disk are enhanced.

Each disk has a slight center upward bulge or boss j, centrallyperforated and of sum cient size to receive the head of securing-boltis, passing up through the boss and the vertical tube Z. This tube ispreferably flared out at its lower end to fit on the upper surface ofthe top boss of the disk, and the tube extends up through a journal-boxm in or on the drag-bar. At its upper end, above the journal-box, thetube has a closing cap or means through which the bolt passes and onwhich the nut of the bolt clamps, so that the disk, tube, and bolt aresecured and rotate together in the j ournal-box. I

Z Z are collars or stops adjustably clamped on the exterior of the tubeabove and below the journal-box to hold the tube therein in the desiredvertical adjustmentand by means of which the drag-bar can be adjustedvertically.

Thev journal-box preferably consists of a suitable block clamped betweenthe two bars composing a drag-bar. However, I do not limit myself to theemployment of such spetiltin g bar is moved forward the rear edge ofsaid bar and the clevises will be raised, thereby raising the front endsof the drag-bars and hence depressing the rear edges of the disks andraising their front edges from the ground out of operative adjustment.This is the usual adjustment of the machine when being moved ortransported, as the rear edges of the disks serve as shoes and slidealong or rotate without cutting the soil.

\Vhen it is desired to work the soil or cultivate, said lever of thetilting frame is thrown in the opposite direction, depressing the rearedge of the tilting bar and its clevises and the front ends of thedrag-bars, thereby throwing down the front edges of the disks, so thatthey cut into and under the surface of the soil and thoroughly pulverizeand cultivate the same in a most thorough and effective manner.

The cultivating depth or depth of cut of the disks is regulated by theirangle of inclination or downward pitch, which can be controlled to anicety according to existing conditions and sort of soil or kind of workto be rotate in an opposite direction to those 011 the other side, andhence the implement will move forward steadily and true without lateralshifting or jumping, which might be the case if all the disks shouldhappen to be rotating in the same direction.

The lateral inclination can be given to the disks in any desirablemanner and they can be either originally set in such position asdesired, or else they can be adjustable transversely.

If desired, the drag-bars can be loosely connected by a transverse bara, carrying a rack, a transverse1y-1novablelever n being fulcrumed tothe axle and pivoted to said bar with a pawl to engage the rack. By thismeans the drag-bars, and consequently their disks, can be tiltedlaterally in either direction and to the extent desired and held in thedesired position. The drag-bars on opposite sides of the center of draftare preferably provided with tilting means independent of each other, sothat the disks on opposite sides of the center can be oppositely tilted.

This invention can be most readily adapted to corn or hand cultivatorsor harrows, as

shown in Fig. 5, wherein the freely vertically, laterally and roekabledrag-bars i have rearwardly-extending handles a, so that the operatorcan rock the disks fore and aft or transversely, as desired.

If desired, each disk can have a rearwardly and downwardly extendingshoe l1 such, for instance, as shown in Fig. 6--confined at its upperend to the disk hub or tube to prevent vertical movement of the shoe,yet so that the tube freely turns therein. These shoes can be adjustedto gage the cutting-depth of the disks; also when the disks are tiltedrearwardly for transportation the shoes slide on the ground and supportthe parts. Each shoe moves laterally and up and down with its disk, andthey are particularly intended for use in the cultivation of corn.

It is also within the scope of my invention to dispense with the tiltingbar and adjusting means on the axle and provide pivoted tilting oradjustable journal-boxes for the disk in the drag-bars, frame or othercarriers. Figs. 5 and Ushow a journal-box 0, having side pintles orpivots d, turning in the dragbar side pieces to permit tilting of thebox or to raise or lower the front edge of the disk. Suitable means canbe employed to lock or hold the boxes in the desired position, such aslover a on the box having a pawl engaging a rack e of the drag-bar, forthe purpose of tilting and locking the box. The other figures show theboxes without the lever the boxes being held by clamping-bolts (1 passedthrough the drag-bar sides to clamp the box rigidly between them whenswung on their pivots (Z' to the desired angle; also, if desired, themovable frame or drag bars can have laterally-turnable journal-boxes ffor the disks, as shown in Fig. 9, wherein the disk sleeves are mountedin cylindrical boxes f, mounted to turn between the drag-bar sides 2' iand to be clamped in desired position to give the desired transverseinclination to the disks. Clamping-bolts passing through the drag-barsides can be employed to hold the boxes in the desired position. Theopposite or fore-and-aft adjustment can be effected through the mediumof the drag bars, as before described, this arrangement beingparticularly intended for the corn or hand cultivator wherein thelateral adjustment is preferred at the rear. Any desired number of thesedisks can be employed as found necessary or desirable.

The laterally-movable and tilting disks can be employed in any suitableframe, and the invention is not limited to the specific constructionhere described in minute detail for the purposes of clearness.

\Vhen my invention is adapted in a large or riding harrow having adrivers seat and a number of disks the adjustment is preferably at thefront by levers, substantially as described, within convenient reachfrom the drivers seat, usually two or three levers being line of draftto tilt the disks sidewise or trans-- versely.

Particular advantages are attained by having the disks movableindependently of the main frame or support, and by having the disksmovable laterally, and by governing the cultivating depth by the pitchor suction angle of the disks, and by giving the disks the desired sidepitch.

It is evident that various slight changes might be made in the forms andconstructions herein set forth without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention. Hence Ido not wish to limit myself to the exactconstructions herein set forth, but consider myself entitled to all suchchanges as fall within the spirit of my invention.

WVhat I claim is- 1. An agricultural implement having ahorizontally-disposed rockable rotary cultivatingdisk, and means,substantially as described for raising and lowering the front edge ofsaid disk so as to'throw the disk into and out of operative adjustment,substantially as described.

2. An agricul tural implement having a horizontallydisposed rotarycultivating disk, loosely connected with its supporting-frame .to permitlateral and fore-and-aft tilting of the disk, substantially asdescribed.

3. A support having a vertically-disposed bearing, in combination with avertical rotary tube extending through and above and journaled in thebearing and provided with stops above and below the same, a cap at theupper end of the tube and the lower end thereof flared outwardly, a flatdisk having a central upward bulge fitting in said lower flared end, anda bolt passing through said bulge and the tube and cap and securing theparts detachably together, substantially as described.

4:. An agricultural implement having laterally and vertically movablebars,horizontallydisposed rotary cutting-disks having vertical hubsmounted in said bars, means substantially as described to tilt the diskssidewise and means to hold the disks with their front edges in thedesired elevation.

5. An agricultural implement having a horizontallydisposed rotarycutting-disk provided with an upwardly-extending hub or sleeve turningin the frame or support, means for tilting said disk, and the shoeextending rearwardly and downwardly from the sleeve which rotatesindependently thereof, substantially as described.

6. In an agricultural implement, an axle and its wheels, a rocking barloosely connected with the axle, means to tilt said bar and lock it atthe desired angles with respect to the axle, drag-bars at their frontends loosely connected with the bar so as to be raised and lowered asthe bar is rocked, the upright sleeves or hubs at their upper endsturning in the drag-bars and at their lower ends provided withhorizontally-disposed rotary cutting-disks tilted by the movement of thedrag-bars, substantially as described.

7. An agricultural implement having the rearwardly-extending loosedrag-bars, tiltable journal-boxes in the rearportions thereof and thehorizontally-disposed disks having the sleeves or hubs mounted to turnin said boxes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

EFFINGER E. WHIPPLE. Witnesses:

G. M. Pn'rnm, G. N. RICHARDSON.

